Whether verbal or non verbal, everything in business and life is about communication. From sending emails to making phone calls to having face-to-face meetings, communication matters.

Want to improve your communication skills? Here are a few tips:

Speak in short sentences without a lot of industry jargon. You don’t need to be terse, just clear. If you’re sending an email, it’s important to be clear — perhaps even more so. If you have to deliver “bad news,” it’s best to do that in person or via telephone, not via email.

Give your full attention to the person in front of you –whether on the phone, in person or when you’re composing an email. It’s easy to get distracted and not give your full attention. Don’t let a caller or client feel they are not important enough for you to stop what you’re doing to pay attention to his or her concerns.

What you do is as important as what you say you will do. Don’t make promises you can’t keep.

Are you an effective communicator? What can you do to be even more so?

I’ll bet that title drew you in, right? In today’s economy it is possible to make a million dollars in your business, if you know what you’re doing, offer a high quality product or service and if you’re tracking your success. Bottom line: You need to plan for your successes if you want to make millions!

Here are some steps to consider if you’re seeking wealth and success:

Always be above board. Earn your money by having a strong belief system and ethical practices.

Make certain you’re caring for your current clients before you bring on new clients. If a client has been wooed away from you, you should have seen their discontent and been able to avert it. If you’re losing clients and don’t know why, take a step back and look over your recent communications with them — you are keeping in touch aren’t you? Did you pay enough attention to their questions and concerns? Before you bring on new clients you should have client care practices in place for current clients.

Show your benefit to potential clients means by demonstrating to them why and how, you are better than the “business next door.” Understand what sets you apart and figure out how to explain those differences in a way that will be meaningful to your prospects. Show your uniqueness.

Answer the questions your clients are asking. Become the go-to expert in your business niche, you will see your business income soar! Why? People will come to trust you and this will help build your business base.

Network. Read. Stay connected with colleagues. Stay on top of what is new and interesting in your industry and in your niche.

If you believe that attending networking meetings will automatically and magically help your business grow, you may want to read this post first. There are networking myths that everyone believes, that may not be true.

I do enjoy networking events and do find they are helpful if I walk into the event with a plan in mind of what I want to accomplish when I am meeting current colleagues and new people. Here are myths that surround networking and inherent benefits:

Myth Number 1: It doesn’t matter what meeting I attend, as long as I attend something. Busted: It does matter. Do your homework and attend events that will put you in front of your ideal client. If you fill your calendar with every networking event you find, you are spinning your wheels.

Myth Number 2: Everyone is a potential client. Busted: Not true. Every person you meet is a potential colleague, but not necessarily a client. A colleague is someone who could become a trusted business partner who (once they get to know you and your business) could become a great referral source for you. That being said, they may be a potential client but you need to cultivate a relationship first.

Myth Number 3: I need to recite my elevator speech and give my life story to everyone at every opportunity. Busted: This is not an ideal way to network. You wouldn’t share your entire life story on a blind date, would you? Get to know the person in front of you. Ask open ended questions. Schedule a getting-to-know-you meeting after the initial event. This won’t happen with everyone you meet, just the people you “click” with.

Plan your networking so you can maximize effectiveness. Bottom line, it’s about relationship building and that takes time.

Our team is in serious growth mode since the middle of last year. This means we have been in the process of bringing on new team members and getting them involved in our processes and procedures. Because our team is virtual and scattered across the globe I need to work with my assistant to keep everyone engaged and to keep projects moving along.

How do I do that? Here are a few steps that I take:

Empower them. Hire wisely and let them go do what they are skilled at. If you’re not comfortable allowing them to perform their tasks, perhaps you hadn’t defined their role clearly enough. Provide the tools they to perform their jobs. Have tracking and reporting mechanisms in place so you’ll know projects are moving along.

Communication is key. Put “team meeting” in your calendar and have a touch-base session. If the lines of communication are open and your staff knows you’re open to hearing from them, everyone benefits.

Feedback and constructive criticism should be employed. Every conversation is an opportunity for an educational conversation. Talking to your staff and offering feedback will help them better perform their jobs. Feedback keeps everyone engaged. When you’re on a one-on-one call ask, “Is there anything you need from me to help you more effectively do your job?”

You, as the business owner, need to be the one to initiate conversations and keep your workforce engaged because if they feel valued they will not only perform at higher levels, but will likely stay with you for the long term!

As an entrepreneur with multiple projects going all at once I am constantly facing deadlines, sometimes overflowing email in boxes and calls to return. That was just a very short list of what I am looking at every day, but I find if I put together a to-do list I get more accomplished than I would without one. But if find yourself writing a to-do list and then being put off by how daunting it seems you don’t want to give up.

I have great suggestions on how small steps can lead to amazing results.

Know what absolutely needs to be accomplished by you. Delegate what you can.

Make note of what absolutely needs to be done today and set that goal.

Do the most important item on your to-do list first.

Understand daily, weekly, monthly and yearly deadlines. Break projects down to measurable time frames and work on them in increments.

Devote 15 minutes to a task that you’re simply dreading. Take a deep breath, but know that you can tackle any task, no matter how objectionable or boring, for 15 minutes.

Are there projects that you put off because they either seem boring or objectionable? Do you find yourself overwhelmed and not sure where to begin? We can actually help with that. Give us a call! Also, if you have tips to share on how you get through your to-do list, please let us know that as well!